


Good Man, That Cody

by kyitsya



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet Ending, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, Cody hunts down Obi-Wan and sadness ensues, Enemies to Friends, Gen, I promise that I'll finish this someday, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Old Friends, Post-Order 66, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, That stupid inhibitor chip can catch these hands, That's Not How The Force Works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25804555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyitsya/pseuds/kyitsya
Summary: He awoke one morning with one thought on his mind, the freezing air of the Imperial facility biting at his skin.This can't continue.Kenobi's disappearance was starting to drive him mad.He had to finish what he had started.He had to execute the order.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Comments: 13
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

_He_ was still alive.

Cody had known it the second the shot had struck the cliff and the _aruetii_ had fallen. He was all too familiar of the Jedi's tendency to survive even the most hopeless of cases, which was why Cody had not even fallen for a second for the whole "General Kenobi perished in the fall," spiel from his own troops.

No, his own surveillance droid had confirmed his theory as much when it had discovered only the varactyl's body laying at the bottom of the depths. Kenobi was nowhere to be seen.

The lack of a body had angered the commander greatly, his blood boiling. He wasted no time in deploying search parties, though, to his annoyance, they all conducted a half-hearted search. In the end, he was declared MIA. That was not enough for Cody, not when he had a vendetta against the man who he had trusted with his life and brothers — only to find out that he was a traitor ready to betray the Republic at an instant.

" _Commander Cody, return to Coruscant. You are needed here._ "

"Chancellor, Obi-Wan Kenobi is still at large—"

 _"I will not repeat myself, commander_."

"Yes, my lord."

His troops were gathered and gunships departed, dust billowing beneath the massive warships. Standing by the open entrance of the gunship, Cody's eyes gazed upon the blue depths into which the _aruetii_ had fallen. Marks where they had dragged their fallen brothers remained etched into the sandy ground as if they were scars on the face of Utapau, taunting him. If anything, it should've been the Jedi's body in the lake and his brothers alive. How many had died today because Kenobi had been working with the other side all along? How many perished in the whole cursed war that was the Clone Wars due to the collective Jedi's treachery?

The coming years were difficult. Cody served the Empire with great loyalty, pacifying Kashyyyk and eliminating the remains of Jedi where reports of one appeared. The full-scale extermination eventually receded to that of hunting an endangered species as the Jedi died out, meaning Cody's deployment faded. With tens of thousands of clones to take on the minuscule bounty missions, skilled officers such as Cody were placed into instructor roles for the first batches of stormtroopers. And, kriff, were they disappointing.

They simply did not have the genes nor the fighting spirit of him and his brothers. They were children stolen off the streets of occupied planets, not battle engineered soldiers. No matter his efforts, his batches would always be criticized by his Imperial superiors.

"Pathetic, they can barely shoot a still target, much less a moving one. How do you expect them to serve the Empire?" A superior huffed out, shoulders stiff and face twisted with disgust. His sleek uniform reflected in the light menacingly, not a single scratch nor tear in sight.

 _Shinie_.

Who did this shinie think he was, giving him — a battle-hardened veteran — smack for a group of troops destined to fail?

Years of serving the Empire changed Cody. It molded him into a cold, indifferent soldier. He no longer respected his superiors as they simply did not deserve it. He still followed every order. He would be caught dead before he betrayed the Empire.

Despite the flippancy of his superiors, Cody bit back his retorts and simply dipped his head in submission.

_Loyalty was everything for the clones._

The cycle of training troops continued for years and they slowly improved. Working with the unreliable DNA of the Empire's citizens was difficult, but Cody made do. He would shut out the mockery and jibes of his superiors, there was no place for that within his thoughts. No, his mind would be preoccupied with the failure on Utapau.

Fingers would curl tightly around the durasteel railing before him as he surveyed the testing stormtroopers from afar, his eyes watching their performance, his attention elsewhere...

Was this to be how he spent the rest of his life? Training troops that had less than a drop of the skill that a Fett clone had and getting kark each time for their incompetency? Forever regretting not avenging his brothers for the crimes that Kenobi had committed?

Several greying hairs sprang to existence near his temples and his injury-ridden body was inching towards the aching of old age. Cody knew he hadn't long, they had never stopped his accelerated aging as he had been meant to die in a firefight after a few months anyways. Unfortunately for the Kaminoans and himself, he defied their expectations and was still kicking.

Cody avoided seeing his own reflection, it only served as proof of his unhappiness. Looking into the mirror, Cody no longer saw the proud, radiant commander that he had once been when he stood beside... the cursed _aruetii_. Instead, a face worn from battle and age, permanently furrowed brows, and cold eyes stared back at him.

He awoke one morning with one thought on his mind, the freezing air of the Imperial facility biting at his skin.

_This can't continue._

Kenobi's disappearance was starting to drive him mad.

He had to finish what he had started.

He _had_ to execute the order.

He donned his forgotten clone armor and strode through the empty halls of the facility, his boots' steps reverberating against the quandanium floors. Cody felt no doubt when his fingers skillfully overrode the hangar's locked doors. A cadet on duty in full stormtrooper gear met him as he stepped inside, blaster resting in his arms. As per regulation, Cody was questioned for his being there during off hours and he lied smoothly, a confidential mission arranged by the Head Imperial Officer. Though hesitant, the stormtrooper relented and, having disabled the tracker, Cody was soon navigating a starship out of the hanger. He didn't hesitate in activating the hyperspace jump, the black of space and streaks of passing stars filling his vision.

A small inkling of worry itched in the back of his mind as he distanced himself from the base. He crushed it immediately. In no way was he betraying the Empire; he was leaving for the betterment of it. The Empire would be permanently safe and secure with the elimination of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

One thing was for sure, he simply couldn't stay there any longer. Cody refused to submit himself to the purgatorial punishment of training hopeless stormtroopers while sporting a relegated title. He'd either die and take Kenobi with him, or Kenobi would kill him. Cody did not expect nor desire to survive the encounter. They had both long overstayed their welcome in the galaxy.

* * *

The search didn't take long. Through his own research and the tracking of individuals with whom Kenobi had interacted post-Order 66, Cody lived up to his title as a Mandalorian and narrowed down his search to Tatooine.

_A worthless planet full of criminals and debauchery, quite fitting for the aruteii._

The locals were quick to point him in the direction of his target's location, though a few did try to swindle and jump him. Cody made quick work of them and ended up 'borrowing' one of their speeders, _for the trouble._

Revving the vehicle to life, Cody's heart thundered in his chest from anticipation. He flew across the dunes as if he were an aiwha skillfully navigating the oceans and skies of Kamino. The sands and hills all melded into a beautiful blend of pale orange, red, and pink, but sightseeing was not at the forefront of his mind. The arid wind whipped at him — he barely felt it. His target remained only a few more klicks away.

He broke sharply at the sight of a stone structure as he reached the top of the cliff.

_This must be it._

Dismounting the speeder, Cody stopped in his tracks. A head full of copper locks captured his vision.

His heart skipped a beat.

He knew he shouldn't be surprised, he had known since the beginning, but the feeling washed over his entire body anyway. It was as if he were looking at a phantom. After all these years...

The Jedi sat crosslegged right next to the synstone hut, his back turned to the clone trooper. The taunting brown of the Jedi robe burned into Cody's retinas and the familiarity enraged him. His hands curled into fists. He had finally located the traitor.

Intrusive regret and nostalgia flooded him at the sight of the ex-general, memories of finding him meditating before a mission worming their way past the inhibitor chip. But that was quickly overridden, duty was first and foremost. Cody would not let the scum get away with betraying the Republic.

_Good soldiers follow orders._

The command filled him and gave him the strength to move. In an instant, Cody withdrew his blaster and fired upon the motionless figure.

Electric blue sparked into existence and, with a flurry of robe, the bolt was deflected. A smoking, blackened stain decorated the sand not too far away from the Jedi. Blazing lightsaber in hand, General Kenobi regarded the armed clone trooper with an expression of resentment and sorrow. But, mainly, _betrayal._

The low hum of the Jedi's weapon drowned out everything else.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eyyy, we're back with chapter 2!!! This was quite a lot fun to write, so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do.
> 
> Also, once again, thank you to Inklegs for checking this chapter out and giving me pointers 😌

Ben had felt the other's presence long before he had fired his shot upon him, yet he had not recognized it at first. He had done much to forget the horrors of the Clone Wars and the execution of his fellow Jedi. As soon as he had handed over the last remnant of his former life to the Skywalkers, Ben had purged himself. No longer was he a general, nor a Jedi, nor Obi-Wan. He was a broken shell. Vader and Sidious had made sure to rid him of everything he had once had.

Gone was democracy, the Republic, and the Jedi Temple. The cold-blooded slaughter of his Jedi brothers and sisters had nearly driven him insane as he felt thousands of lights being snuffed out at once. He had only hung on to his discipline until his body finally acknowledged that he was safe on Tatooine, his duty was done, and he was all alone. Only then did he collapse and weep.

And only after letting go of his sorrow and emptiness through tears did he realize that he couldn't live on with the horrors that had imprinted themselves upon him. So he ignored them. He pushed them to the deepest, darkest parts of his mind and locked them there. He tossed the key as far as he could, content with keeping those horrors shackled away forever. Ben would never truly forget, but he could turn a blind eye.

Ben had not remembered the Force signature that had crept towards him. In his meditative pose, he sat and did not bother to check. If they were friend or foe, he would surely figure out soon.

A silent command rang out in the Force.

_Good soldiers follow orders._

The locks holding back his repressed thoughts suddenly shattered and a flurry of names slammed into him. His brows furrowed in discomfort as his mind was overrun. It was as if the last remnant of Obi-Wan was screaming at him, shouting to be heard.

 _Danger. Danger. Danger_.

Ben's eyes widened suddenly.

_Cody._

The deflection came easy to him.

The rage that overtook him proved to be much more difficult to suppress.

Standing before him was the man who he had trusted with his life during the wars. His commander, his friend. Cody, a good man—

Now a traitor to the Republic, a murderer, and a tool of evil that had his blaster pointed straight at his heart. But Ben did not fear his own demise, he feared what Cody being there meant.

_Have they discovered Luke?_

The possibility horrified him. Had he slipped up? Were the imperial troops on their way to eliminate him and the last hope of the galaxy?

_Does Vader know?_

His blood ran cold at the thought.

His grip tightened on his 'saber. Luke would not be harmed. Force forbid if he failed Padmé as well.

"That was certainly a rude welcome." Ben gibed, his eyes narrowed, as anger flooded him at his words. It pained him that his first reaction to seeing the man was to pretend as if they were brothers in arms in the midst of battle, playful comments on his tongue. But there was no battle, there was only a desert that he was to be chained to for the rest of his life. There was no brother in arms, there was only a traitor that had hunted his culture. There was no camaraderie, no respect, no trust.

The clone did not reply and Ben felt annoyance spark that the helmet provided no insight as to the man's emotions. The Force around the clone remained clouded. Did he even feel any guilt for his actions? Did he even remember the Jedi that he'd killed, or were there too many to recollect?

"Well?" He began, "Have you come to finish the _job_?"

The words dripped from his lips like acid.

Silence once more. It was almost as if the clone was a statue.

"I must execute traitors of the Republic and enemies to the Empire."

Ben barely stopped himself from bursting out into mirthless laughter from the words that had just left the clone. Him? A traitor to the Republic?

"Traitor? Last time I checked, it was you and your brothers who eliminated the Order that served the Republic and allowed evil to corrupt it!" Ben spat back. He couldn't hold his composure any longer. Not when he was staring into the very face that many Jedi had stared into as they died. "If anyone's the traitor, it's you and your brothers that turned your backs on the Republic!"

"The Jedi were planning to overthrow the Chancellor and attain power for themselves. It had to be done."

_"From my point of view, the Jedi are evil."_

_"Well then you are lost!"_

Ben shook his head lightly to clear his head, and yet it was as if he were shouting over the roaring of the flowing lava once more. Palpatine had tricked the clones just as he had Anakin.

"Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith who initiated the war!" Ben barked with a sweep of his arm, exasperation heavy in his tone. He knew he was playing a losing game. Brainwashed pawns did not heed warnings. “He played us like a game of _dejarik_!”

"I will not listen to your lies." A hint of aggravation in the voice behind the helmet.

"The Republic is gone and in it's place a tyranny has risen with Palpatine as it's emperor. Ignore my words and you will forever be blind to it."

Could the clone even be reasoned with? Anakin had been lost even after all his efforts, why would Cody be any more susceptible to the truth? And yet, Ben desperately hoped that he could live up to his days as the Negotiator. The clone standing before him was the last living memory of the good days, he didn't want to lose him too.

A snap in the Force, the crack almost audible. He had clearly struck a nerve. Pure, unfiltered hatred sparked, a feeling that Ben had never felt the clone direct at him before.

"You dare tell me that the Chancellor is evil when you have never been on our side in the first place?" Cody was snarling now, the monotone statue having winked out of sight. "How many of my men perished because of your plans? Just how many times did you knowingly lead us into an ambush? The Chancellor doesn't lie, _aruteii_ , he revealed the truth about your traitorous order!"

Ben stood, stunned, his mind reeling from the attack. Had he truly done so little that his own commander would accuse him of intentionally leading them into suicide missions? His lightsaber had made contact with countless blaster bolts to redirect them away from the 212th, often at the cost of his own stamina during long campaigns. After the incident with Krell, he had been at the forefront of the Council meetings, demanding that such a mistake was to never occur again. Ben had mourned every single fallen soldier, and, when there were no bodies to bury, he would take the time to acknowledge their passing through the Force.

Ben had cherished his troops as if they were his own fellow Jedi.

"My brothers deserved better," Cody gritted out, his head finally moving from it's stationary place to observe the ground. It was as if he couldn't stand to look at Ben. "I held so many men that believed in you as the light left them. They believed you would lead us to victory." A harsh, defeated chuckle left him. "Little did they know that you were our enemy all along."

The stoic black of the visor was upon him once more. Ben no longer needed to see the other's face to know the spite that lay in those eyes.

"Orders are orders." A tingle in the Force.

_So it seems the discussion is over._

Regret filled him as he realized what he would have to do, his soul sinking.

_Luke._

"Wait!" Ben threw his hand out. Cody's finger did not leave the trigger. The barrel of the blaster stayed locked dead center at him.

His heart hammered in his chest.

"Grant me this, how many of you are here?"

"It's only me."

Relief flooded Ben at those simple three words. Luke was safe. He had not messed up. No Skywalkers would be dying today.

But that proclamation also sparked confusion within him. What was a clone doing away from the pack? How had he broken away from the Imperials? And what was that odd feeling that emanated from the clone?

Tired of being in the dark, Ben dove into the Force to seek out answers. Cody's signature shone brightly in the barren wasteland that was the desert. What set Ben on alert was that it was not the same, radiant glow that he associated the commander with. It flickered as if it were a malfunctioning holo. Something was holding him prisoner.

" _He is not himself,_ " the Force whispered into Ben's ear as it swirled around them, " _Dive deeper, search his feelings._ "

Never one to push the Force aside, Ben reached out and allowed himself to be enveloped in Cody's feelings.

There was nothing out of the ordinary in his sight. Intense anger and betrayal hit Ben in waves, but he pushed through the current, determined to get to the bottom of things. He came upon an oddness that he had been searching for. It was organic, yet it didn't belong.

A darkness that Ben knew all too well nested around it; the mark of a Sith's influence. But it was not one willingly accepted, it was one that had been bestowed by force. Doubling his efforts, Ben located it's origin... Cody's temple.

_Something's inside him._

His eyes opened in realization just as Cody fired once more. Ben deflected the shot seamlessly before many more came.

_This is not the Cody I know._

Even the Imperials couldn't have possibly changed him so much.

Cody had proved himself to be a brilliant strategist during the wars and had always been smart in battle. Never would he have thought about taking a Jedi head on with simply a blaster. That was suicide. But there was no desire to survive, there was only a command. One single command. One that demanded that the Jedi before him die no matter what.

There was no other explanation, the foreign object _had_ to be steering the clone before him. Was it possible to undo it?

Advancing forward, Ben blocked each shot, careful not to ricochet it back at the clone.

His lightsaber cleaved through the blaster with one succinct slash. Unhindered, the clone threw the destroyed weapon aside and launched into melee. Ducking Cody's swing, Ben threw himself at Cody, both of them grunting as they hit the hot sand. The clone snarled and wasted no time in wrapping his legs around Ben's waist, pulling him forward. Ben found himself colliding face first into Cody's helmet, the trick nearly succeeding in stunning him and flipping their positions. Crimson dripped onto scratched armor plates. Ignoring the rush of blood down his lip, he pushed through the daze. Ben leaned in and grabbed at the sides of Cody's helmet before tugging it off.

Blue, pained eyes met dark, flaming ones. Once more, Cody lashed out. Ben pushed the striking arm with his elbow to the side and grasped onto the sides of Cody's face, digging his fingers into his temple. Cody's hands, in turn, wrapped around Ben's arms and strained to push him off, claws nearly ripping into the Jedi.

" _Calm._ " Ben muttered harshly as he sent the Force trick right into the depths of Cody's mind. He had no clue if it would even work, but it seemed like the Force decided to smile upon him. The clone's grip weakened and the fight left him, though the same rage bubbled in his eyes.

Ben took a second to catch his breath, reining in the adrenaline and throwing his head back to stem the bleeding. He dove once more into the Force and straight for the oddness; a chip of some kind... Located just in the right place to efficiently steal its host's free will.

Ben carefully observed it as thoughts of deceit filled his mind. How had this gotten into Cody? Did all clones have this inside them? Cautiously, Ben opened himself to the chip's influence. Three words rang out in that terrible, sinister voice.

_Execute Order 66._

And with it, the unquenchable urge to kill Jedi.

Chancellor Palpatine's voice. Darth Sidious.

His blood ran cold. The discovery made Ben want to scream into the void of the Force and rage against the cruelty of the universe. First the Republic, then the Jedi, and now the clones. Sidious had killed all of his fellow Jedi and had made Cody's brothers the executioners. It was unbearable. Horrific. Pure evil.

His men had never turned against him willingly.

Cody had never meant to truly betray him.

Ben drew in a shuddery breath, grief overtaking him. Opening his eyes to stare into the hate-filled gaze felt like taking several blaster shots to the gut.

"You were victims all along..." He murmured to himself, his trauma riddled brain still trying to process the information.

Cody provided no answer, though anger still seeped out of him at being unable to attack the Jedi above him.

There were no victors in the war. There was only one and it was Sidious. At the moment, Ben could do nothing about Sidious' rule. However, he could, at the very least, beat him by freeing Cody. Despite his mind still quivering with anguish, Ben refocused his energy on the chip and observed it. The best way would most likely be to have it extracted surgically, but that was be borderline impossible at the moment.

Severing the connection through the Force seemed to be his best bet.

Trembling fingers met the right side of Cody's temple, uncertainty blooming within him. Ben had no clue if there would be any repercussions for the act that he was about to commit, but he couldn't leave the clone to the chip's bondage. The Dark hissed as the Light surrounded it. His mind strained as he delicately got a hold onto the connection through which the chip operated.

It protested, the chip's control long burrowed into Cody's mind. All those sleeping commands had been within him from nearly the start. Cody's breath hitched as Ben cut into the connection, doubt banished and intent clear. His arms shook from the effort, brows furrowing in complete focus. He could feel Cody's entire being scream in panic at the destructive act, mind erupting into chaos as the chip lost it's footing.

Orders, long ingrained, vanished. Ben retreated to reality, lungs drawing in large gulps of air as his vision danced unsteadily. Only his forearm against the ground stopped him from completely toppling over into the sand. Below him, Cody had fallen unconscious.

Ben squeezed his eyes shut, clearing away the nausea that rolled in, before pushing himself back into sitting position. He checked the other's Force signature... devoid of any flickering.

Cody was free. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy, I'm excited to have finally posted this because I have had this idea in my head for a looong time and it feels great to yeet it out into the world. This first chapter is a little short due to the exposition, but the next one will surely be longer and full of action/regret.
> 
> Also, I'd like to thank my friend, Inklegs, for beta-reading this chapter and for helping me touch it up a bit. You're a real one for taking the time to read this even though you don't know much about the prequel trilogy!
> 
> Anyways, hope y'all enjoy :)


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